


H2OVanoss - Roses From the Masked Man

by Animator2B



Category: H2OVanoss - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-09-10 18:17:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8927833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Animator2B/pseuds/Animator2B
Summary: Everything was normal- or at least that's what it seemed. Little did he know about a pair of eyes watching him. For days. When the one behind those eyes finally take action, it leads them both down an unexpected road.





	1. Intro

****_Noise. Noise. Noise._ That's all I hear. The chattering and clanking of dishes were muddled with the conversations of the people. It was like a terrible orchestra was playing in my ears every time I heard any sound. _People. People. People._ Do they know the feeling? That moment when you're trapped in a mental limbo? I know that feeling. It seems like that's always where I am. Having conscience thoughts but not having an input on what you do. It makes me feel numb, powerless. I have no real choice. I would have chosen the sweet taste of a chocolate shake, but instead I have the bitter taste of black coffee sitting on my tongue. It makes me question why. Why am I this why? Maybe I hit my head too hard as a child? Maybe a tragic incident that I fail to remember? Who knows?

"Sir? Would you like a refill?"

My body nods and smiles.

"Yes, thank you miss."

They don't even know. Who would? I would seem normal to those on the outside. I look as if I function like a normal person... But I don't. Not in my head at least.

"Here you go, sir."

"Thank you."

I do things that I can't explain why- like pick one conversation out of the sea and intently listen. As if it was my mother reading me a bed time story.

"I stayed up way too late editing shit."

Gag. Sip. Tap. Tap. And I quickly stop listening. Over and over again. Just mindless intake of information. It makes my brain itch-

my brain gets that way

"When did you go to bed?"

"I think... A couple of hours after you left... I wasn't paying attention."

"Jesus, Craig! It was already late when I left!"

"I just got really busy editing."

"I know how that feels- at least tonight you shouldn't have that much to do."

"Yeah... Besides recording stuff."

"Speaking of recording; are you gonna join our recording session tonight, Evan?"

I have no control of my actions when my brain gets this way.

"I'm gonna be a bit busy tonight but... I'll see if I can join after getting stuff done."

That poor man across the room doesn't know. How could he? I look like any other person here...

Just like any other person.

 


	2. Who Are You?

     The small dinner was filled with the sound of people talking and dishes clanging. It smelled of pancakes, eggs, coffee, and syrup. A group of friends sat at a table close to the windows. The four of them enjoyed their breakfast while chatting, a yawn being exchanged from here to there. One had sleep still in his eyes and the sun that was coming through the window was slightly burning his eyes. He yawned again and rubbed his eyes, "I stayed up way too late editing shit." An Irish voice spoke from across the table, "When did you go to bed?"

"I think... A couple of hours after you left... I wasn't paying attention."

"Jesus, Craig! It was already late when I left!" Craig shrugged, "I just got really busy editing." The man with raven black hair chuckled, "I know how that feels- at least tonight you shouldn't have that much to do." Craig nodded, "Yeah... Besides recording stuff." The man sitting next to Craig spoke up, "Speaking of recording; are you gonna join our recording session tonight, Evan?" Evan shrugged, "I'm gonna be a bit busy tonight but... I'll see if I can join after getting stuff done."

"Hey that's fine, dude." The man with the Irish accent spoke, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to join."

"Because of your McDonald's internet?"

"Oh, haha- fuck you Tyler." Tyler chuckled, "What?" The Irish man rolled his eyes, "You know what." Everyone chuckled then continued eating breakfast and chatting. Not noticing the pair of eyes that stared in their direction.

     Evan let out a long sigh as he walked down the sidewalk. The sun shined over head, beating the cement with its rays of heat. He enjoyed the warmth as he continued walking home. He moved through a small crowd of people the whole way, not thinking that one of those people heading in the same direction was following him. He entered his home and stretched his arms over his head before he sighed. His thought about editing, but cleaning up the place was also a thought that popped into his head. He groaned as he grabbed the cleaning supplies, which were in the kitchen. Thud. Evan froze in place. There is no one else in his house and he had no pets as well- who made that sound? With slow movements he put the supplies down and began to look for a weapon. He grabbed a kitchen knife and began to look through the house. He walked towards the sound, which came from his room or the bathroom. Glanced into the bathroom- nothing. Glanced into his room- sigh of relief. A bag that was completely filled up sat on the ground, when it should have been on the dresser. It had fallen off the dresser many times and he would mumble to himself about cleaning it out since he wasn't planning on traveling soon. He picked up the bag and placed it back on the dresser. He walked back to the kitchen and placed the knife back and grabbed the supplies again. Thud. "God damnit- I'm gonna just clean it out now." He mumbled under his breath. He walked back to his room then sat on his knees and began to unpack the bag. He organized all of his things into neat organized piles next to him, thinking it would be faster than making multiple trips. Creeeeak. He stop for a moment and thought, did I do that? He shifted and heard no creak of protest from the floor. Thump, thump. Footsteps? Evan quickly turned around, only to be meet with a object swinging towards his face. TWACK! The world began to spin around him and his vision became blurred. He fell over, holding his head as pain pulsed through his head. He looked up to see a masked figure standing there holding a bat. Evan shook his head, trying to recover from the first hit, but- TWACK!

\--------

     Blurred shapes. That all that Evan could see once he managed to open his eyes. His head was pounding in pain and he was so dazed that he couldn't tell if he sitting or lying down. He groaned and tried to move, finding that he was unable to. His hands were bounded behind his back and his legs tied together. He huffed and looked around after his head cleared up. The room was dimly lit by a lamp that sat on an old nightstand.  The wooden walls were old and falling apart in some places, but he could see that there was a new wall behind the old one. The bed he was laying on did seem very new, as well. He huffed and struggled against his bonds. He froze when the door to the room opened. The masked figure walked into the room, carrying a tray. Evan examined the masked man. The man was tall, lean, his blue jacket worn, and his white mask had three bright red triangles on the cheeks and forehead. "Who are you?!" The tall man didn't speak and placed the tray on the nightstand, revealing a plate of food and a cup of water. "What do you want?! Why did you do this?!"

"I'm going to untie you so that you can eat... Don't do anything drastic." Evan gave the masked figure a dark stare. The man slowly started untying the rope that was binding Evan's hands together. "Don't do anything drastic the man says- are you serious?! You knocked me out and kidnapped me!" Evan could feel the binding loosen. "Please... Don't." Evan could feel the rope fall away. "Why should I?!" Evan swung at the masked man, landing a hard hit on the mask. Evan quickly rolled onto his back and kicked the man's stomach. The tall man grunted and grabbed his legs. Evan was swigging his arms, trying to land another hit, "LET GO OF ME!" The man let go of Evan's legs then quickly grabbed his arms and pinned them above his head. "NO! LET GO!" The Canadian's voice cracked as he struggled against the- surprisingly- strong grip. The man freed a hand and began throwing punches. Evan shut his eyes and grunted in pain after the first few hits, but those grunts slowly turned into cries as the hits kept coming. "STOP! PLEASE, STOP!" The man did, much to Evan's surprise. Evan slowly opened his eyes and saw only angry filled, light blue eyes staring down at him. The anger in the man's eyes faded and his expression softened, "I told you." Evan could feel the rope be tied back around his wrists. Evan shut his eyes, feeling tears and blood run down his face and pain pulse through the left side of his face. When he opened his eyes the masked man was gone. He took a shaky breath and curled up, hoping the pain would fade away.

    The masked man walked out of the room and locked the door behind him. He sighed and cursed under his breath. He told him. He said not to do anything crazy. He groaned in frustration and walked to the fridge, which didn't sit far from the door. He grabbed an ice pack and a rag before going back into the locked room. Evan laid, curled up, in the middle of the bed with his back to the door. The taller man took a deep breath before speaking, "Hey." The Canadian looked over his shoulder, showing the bruising eye before laying his head back down. The masked man took a few slow steps towards the bed, "Please sit up." Evan didn't respond. "Please." He propped himself up on an elbow, "Why? So you could start punching me again?" His kidnapper shook his head and showed the ice pack and rag that he was holding, "That bruise needs to be taken care of." Evan looked at the ice pack, his face showing his confusion, "What?" The man sighed, "Just sit up." Evan slowly sat up. "Thank you... Now hold still." He first wiped away some of the tears and blood that was running down Evan’s face. He then pressed the cold ice onto the bruise. Vanoss flinched when the cold touched his sensitive skin. As the masked man continued to tend to the bruise the Canadian stared at him with confusion. Why is this man caring for the bruise that he made? "I don't have any sort of cream- medicine- sort of stuff. So, it's going to take awhile to heal, and it's going to hurt for awhile." Evan continued to give the masked man a confused look, and didn't respond. "Now... Let's try this again- I'm going to untie your hands so that you can eat." Evan still didn't respond and sat still when the rope was taken away. The masked man then walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Evan stared at the door, dumbstruck. He turned his attention to the tray of food, and with slow moments he started to eat. Silently wondering what this masked man had planned for him. To use him to get a ransom? To kill him? He wasn't sure. But he was sure that he was going to get out of this situation... No matter what.


	3. You're Fucking Nuts

 

     Evan stared at the door with a dull stare. He felt tired, his wrists were rubbed raw, and he lost track of the days. He knew that they passed, but he couldn't tell you how many. The masked man hadn't spoken to him since day one and the lack of stuff to do was making time go by so slowly. He sighed and moved his hands, wincing at the burning feeling of rope rubbing the sensitive skin. The metal door to the small room slowly opened, revealing the masked man carrying the tray of food. The man placed the tray on the nightstand and before he did anything else- "Why are you doing this?" The man ignored the question and began untying the rope around Evan's wrists. He paused and examined Evan's wrists. He ran a thumb across the skin, getting a pained groan of protest from Evan. He looked up and examined the fading bruise, pressing his thumb against it to see if it still hurt. Evan simply gave him a confused stare, showing no sign of pain. "Why are you being so fucking nice?" The man paused and gave Evan a questioning glance. "You kidnapped me and punched me, and now your giving me food and caring for this bruise- That you made!... I just... I don't understand." The man stared at Evan for a few moments then pointed at the tray of food, "Eat." Then he walked out, not saying another word. Evan sighed and looked at the tray, waiting for the sound of the door closing. After a few moments of not hearing it he looked towards the door, and was surprised to see that it was still open. He began to untie the rope around his legs when- THUD! THUD! Those aren't footsteps. Something was hitting the wall. He walked to the door and peered out. The room he was looking into was small, yet bigger than the room he is being held in. It was also the kitchen and living room area, with the usual kitchen necessities in one corner and a set of couches sitting in the other. A sturdy pillar sat in the middle of the room, and that's where the sound was coming from. THUD! THUD! THUD! The masked man was making the sound by slamming his forehead against it. Evan watched for a few moments, completely dumbfounded of what was happening. He slowly walked out of the room, quietly. THUD! THUD! THUD! Evan thought that maybe while the man was distracted he could escape. He took a deep breath and slowly moved through the room, trying to not make a sound. THUD! THUD! THUD! Evan got to one of the three doors in the room and prayed that it would open to the outside. He grabbed the knob and let out a slow shaky breath. He hesitated when he noticed that it was quiet. A shudder ran down his spine when he could feel hot breath on the back of his neck. A hand wrapped around his wrist. "I don't suggest doing that."

     Evan shuddered, feeling as if the whole room was spinning. He was curled up, groaning from the pain from his stomach. He winced at the sound of the door opening. The masked man walked in and sighed, "Why can't you just understand? Don't. Do. Anything. Drastic." Evan simply responded with a groan of pain. The man shook his head, "Sit up."

"No." The man narrowed his eyes, "I know you're upset, but I need to look at where it hurts. It could be bruising." Evan didn't respond. "Fine... I'll leave you be then... Just call if you need something." Evan stared at the wall and still didn't respond. The man sighed and walked to the doorway. He slowly pulled the door close, until there was a small crack between the door and the frame. He whispered something that was difficult for Evan to hear, but he could still hear it. "I'm sorry." The door then closed and he could hear the man lock the door. Evan sighed and continued to stare blankly at the wall. He fell asleep soon afterwards.

     The masked man entered the room to find that Evan was asleep. He let out a small sigh before he walked up to the nightstand to grab the food tray. He paused and glanced at the sleeping man. He continued to stare for a few moments until he shook his head, "Itchy." He grabbed the food tray with one hand before he glanced at the sleeping man again. After a few seconds of staring he realized that his fingers were running through the black hair. He paused, "Why? Stop... Just stop." He pulled his hand away, "Why?" He shook his head again and began to walk out of the room. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm a terrible person... I'm a terrible person... I... I... He shouldn't be here." He closed the behind him, "He... He... He shouldn't be HERE!" As he shouted the last word he threw the food tray to the ground. "I... I don't even know his name... I don't know him... Why am I doing this to him?" He softly wept, tears running down his face. He took the mask off and wiped them away, "I... I... I'm... I'm sorry."

     Evan jumped awake when there was a loud slam and he heard the masked man yell, "HERE!" He shook his head to get rid of the drowsiness so he could listen. He couldn't hear everything, but what he could hear was enough for him to think, "He's fucking nuts."


	4. Blue Eyes

     Days passed and nothing had changed in the daily routine. The only thing that was different was the amount of food he was receiving. The tray had less and less food each day, making Evan start to worry if the man was planning on doing something soon. He paid extra attention to the tall man’s movement when he entered the room. Nothing seemed different, he still slouched as he walked in with the tray, his shoulders relaxed, and his eye showed how lost in thought he was. Evan’s stomach growled, which the man noticed, “I’m sorry… I haven’t gone to go get food in awhile so that’s why there hasn’t been as much recently.” On the inside, Evan let out a sigh in relief, but he kept a stern expression on the outside. There were a few moments of silence as the masked man put the tray down. He then continued to speak, “I’m planning on going out tomorrow to get more.” The Canadian’s eyes lit up as his brain began to think of escape plans. “Just… Eat this and I’ll see what I can scrap together for you in the morning.” Evan was still taken aback by the man’s kind tone. It seems really odd for him to act so nice towards the person he kidnapped. At first Evan thought it was because he was being held for ransom, but that doesn’t’ seem to be the case. The masked man finally looked at Evan, their eyes locking with each other. The younger man felt an uncomfortable shiver run down his spine as the thousand yard gaze was replaced with an interest that Evan didn’t like. The man muttered under his breath, “Itchy,” before reaching towards Evan, who wasn’t expecting him to that. So, when the man’s fingers brushed through his hair he instinctively flinched away. Despite this the man continued and cupped his hand against Evan’s cheek, slowly rubbing his thumb over the check bone. The Canadian felt his heart pound against his chest and his arm and leg muscles quivered from adrenaline. He felt paralyzed as his muscles screamed at him, telling him to fight or take flight. Eventually he decided to listen and he slapped the man’s hand away. He clenched his hands into fists, silently hoping that the tight rope around his legs wouldn’t affect him in a small fight. But, to his surprise, the masked man never threw a punch. He just stood in place and stared at his hand, almost like he was unsure of what to do. He looked back at Evan, panic in his eyes. Panic? Why would he be panicking? The man then quickly left the room, slamming and locking the door behind him. The adrenaline slowly faded from Evan’s system, leaving him physically exhausted even though he didn’t do anything.

*****

     “What the fuck was that?” The man asked himself in a harsh whisper. “Why did I do that? What’s wrong with me?” His own thoughts answered, “Creepy touching, who knows, many things.” Frustrated with himself he plopped onto the couch and threw his mask-covered-face into the cushions. The mask smushed his face and he groaned. He lost control. He watched his body act on its own accord. “It’s gonna happen soon… I don’t want it to… What’s going to happen to him when I lose control?” He shuddered at the thought before weeping into the cushions, “I don’t want to.” He stayed that way for a great amount of time, just weeping and mumbling to himself. Over that time a fire was brewing in his head, his brain pulsating from the building rage. He suddenly bolted up and wailed as if he had been shot, “Fuck!” Forearms quivered with a need to throw a punch. He stood up and walked to the middle pillar, his hands clenched tightly into fists. He striked the wood, hearing a:  _CRACK_ by doing so. Ignoring it he stomped back to the couch and sat, his hand burning just as much as his head, but he didn’t feel it. His mind had wondered off, leaving his body frozen in place. Blood trickled down pale knuckles and dripped to the floor. By the time the man’s brain returned to him a small puddle had formed. He cried out in pain and examined the bloody gash. Splinters were sticking out of the torn skin and the knuckles that weren’t torn were bruising. He cursed under his breath before he went to the bathroom to take care of the injury.

\------

     Evan woke to aching muscles. It was mostly his legs due to being tied up, but his shoulder was aching as well. He wondered if he slept funny as he pulled at the rope tied around his legs, breathing a sigh of relief when the rope fell away. He stretched, hoping it would help ease his tense muscles. As he did that he listened for movement in the house. He had a feeling that if the masked man caught him without the rope tied then he’d be feeling worse pain than a few aching muscles. Brown eyes stared up at the ceiling as his muscles relaxed. He rolled onto his side and examined the old wall.  _Creeeack… Tch, tch._ That better not be rats in the walls; he thought to himself. Shadows could be seen moving around in the space between the walls. He stood up and moved to the wall and peaked through one of the holes, seeing the newer wall. Hearing movement further away and he moved closer to it. He froze when his eyes found ice blue orbs through one of the holes. Time seemed to have stopped as the two stood in place. Evan’s body eventually reacted to the adrenaline and he backed away from the wall. Footsteps could be heard as the man moved through the wall. At this point Evan’s brain was cluttered with plans and his heart was hammering against his chest. The door to his room swung open, making him gasp. The masked man’s eyes were wide when he ran in. Evan quickly grabbed a lone, broken chair that sat in the corner, “Get the fuck away from me!” The man held his hands up in surrender, “Wait! It’s not what it looks like! I just wanted to chuck up on you- without waking you up!” Evan highly doubted that considering what happened yesterday. “I’m telling you the truth… Please, put the chair down.” Evan’s grip loosened, this man sound genuine, but when the man grabbed the chairs legs he tensed up. Out of the corner of his eye the Canadian noticed that the man’s hand was bandaged and took note that he could use that to his advantage if needed. The man softly tugged the chair, “It’s okay… You can let go.” Evan loosened his hands to where the chair easily slid out of them. Wood rubbed his skin as the masked man pulled the chair away. Evan suddenly gasped and let go of the chair before mumbling under his breath, “Fuck.” He examined his hands as the masked man quickly placed the chair back in the corner, “What happened?” He asked as he grabbed Evan’s wrists. “Oh… That thing is so god damn old and splintered… At least you only have a few splinters.” Small pieces of wood stuck of the tan flesh, making the skin slowly turn red. The man continued to examine Evan’s hands, as well as his wrist that still had rope burn, “Shit… Here, follow me. That needs to be taken care of.” Evan raised a brow as he watch the masked man walk out of the room. He hesitated before following. The man pointed at the island that was in the kitchen, “sit there… I’m gonna grab a few things.” Evan sat on a stool and watched the man go into the bathroom. The man came back with a small medical box, “Put one of your hands on the counter, with your palm up.” Evan did as told as the masked man pulled up a stool. The contents in the box clattered around as their container moved around. The white box was placed on the counter and the man began to dig through it. He brought out a thin needle then turned his attention towards Evan’s hand. When the cold metal touched his skin shut his eyes, waiting for the small pinch of pain. “I guess it’s a good thing that I got splinter myself last night. I’m not so out of practice for digging these bastards out.” Evan opened his eyes,  _“Is this guy trying to make small talk?”_

“I use to have to dig out a lot of splinters… My dad worked in construction and when I was old enough I helped him out. Got a lot of splinters and injuries that way.” There was silence for a few moments. “Why are you telling me this?” The man made eye contact with Evan, “I know that it helps me to get my brain focused on something else instead of the thing that’s gonna hurt… I just thought it would help you… If it doesn’t help just tell me to shut up.”

“Okay?” The man then turned his attention back to picking out the small pieces of wood, “Anyway… I think that the worst injury that I ever got was when a whole pile of…I believe it was two by fours? I can’t remember, either way I ended up with a fractured wrist, a broken arm, a few cracked ribs, and deep gashes all over my body after a pile of wood fell on me.” Evan winced at the image, “Ouch.”

“Yeah, that sucked… And you know what made it worst?”

“What?”

“All of the splinters.” The man said in a joking tone. Evan surprised himself when he slightly chuckled. “Have you ever injured yourself? Or were you a sheltered child?”

“Well, my parents forced me into playing hockey.”

“Hockey?! Damn, you must have had some sort of injury then.” Evan nodded, a part of him questioning why he was taking part in the conversation, “I’ve broken an arm, a leg, and nearly got a concussion… Not all at once, though.”

“Lucky bastard… Okay! I’m done with this hand, just rise it underneath some cold water real quick.” The man dug through the medical box some more as Evan did as told; he wiped his hand on his jeans before sitting back on the stool. Gauze had been place on the counter, “Now, I’m gonna go ahead and wrap that burn around your wrist before moving on.” The Canadian didn’t need much, just a thin layer so that it would be aloud to heal faster. Afterwards, Evan placed his other hand on the counter only for the mask man to grab it and turned to face him. The man’s thumb ran over some splinters while doing so, causing Evan to flinch at the pain, “Sorry, It’s just more comfortable for the both of us if I just faced you.” Evan simply nodded before the two meet each other’s gazes, and just with that Evan could tell that this man was smiling by the glint in his eyes. It wasn’t malicious, sex crazed, or creepy, it was caring. “So! Hockey- are you Canadian or something?” Evan chuckled, “Yep. Born and raised there.” The man busted out into laughter, “Holy shit, I was joking!” Evan started to laugh along, “What the hell is that laugh?!” A sharp pain in his palm made him stop and pull away his hand, “Ouch!”

“Shit! Sorry! I was laughing too much.” Evan shook the pain off before giving his hand back to the man, saying nothing. “Well… Uh… Sports! Let’s stick with that subject! I use to play basketball.”

“Oh?”

“I didn’t really like it, but when I was a kid I had a lot of energy. So, my parents thought basketball would be a good way for me to use up that energy. I quit playing when I was 10? 11? And the closest thing I’ve ever done to playing a sport is playing Fifa. You play games like that or?”

“Well, not specifically sports games, but I do play.” The man paused, “So… What’s your gamer tag?” Evan didn’t know whether to get angry or confused at the question. “I mean- Not the entire thing I mean just like… Part of it. My nickname come from my gamer tag and I just thought… Since I know you won’t tell me your real name and I won’t tell mine to you… We can just- call each other by our nicknames. Instead of, ‘Guy’ or ‘Man’ or ‘You person’ or… Whatever.” The man placed the pin on the counter, “There, all gone… And… It’s just a suggestion… You don’t have to tell me.” As Evan rinsed his hand he felt the word just leap out of his mouth, “Vanoss.” He immediately regretted saying that and questioned why he did. “What?”

“Vanoss… That’s my nickname based off my gamer tag.” Evan sat back down on the stool, waiting for his wrist to be wrapped. The older man hesitated before grabbing the gauze, “I’m Delirious.” Evan wasn’t sure if he was joking because that name fit way to well. Once Delirious was done wrapping Evan’s wrist me mumbled, “It’s sad how fitting that name is now.” He wasn’t joking. “You’re all fixed up… Thanks for not doing anything… Drastic, while I was doing that.” Vanoss didn’t reply and simply stared at the floor. “Well… I’m going to get what food I can-“ Evan’s stomach growled at the mere mention of food. “Heh, your stomach already like the plan! Anyway, I’m gonna get food ready for you before I leave.” The younger man had completely forgotten that his kidnapper was going to leave for the day. So, when Delirious had his back turned Evan quickly scanned the room, planning his escape.

     The house was silent. Delirious had already left and Evan was finishing up his breakfast, waiting for him to get far away before putting his plan into action. He first had to get out of his room. He was pretty sure that Delirious had locked the metal door before he left, but Evan tried to open it anyway. Much to his surprise it opened with great ease, the hinges squeaking in protest as it swung open. Evan step into the main room, getting anxious. This is too easy. He ran up to one of the two doors that he knew didn’t lead to the bathroom, and practically slammed it open. Hot air rushed in, hitting him full force. He mumbled under his breath as he looked out at the golden sea of sand, “Shit! This guy lives in the middle of the fucking desert!” He let out a sigh in frustration before stepping out, his feet sinking into the fine grain. Far off in the distance he could see a road and his body felt exhausted just by looking at it.

     The sun overhead, wind blowing sand into his face, and no sign of a car made the walk worse. Sand was caught in his nose and throat, making it hard for him to breath and he wished that he brought water with him. He continued to walk along the road, quickly losing track of time. Eventually he saw a flash from a car. He sighed in relief and waved his arm at the car. The bright red, sports looking, car was speeding down the road and as it got closer it slowed down. It came to a stop next to Evan, but he couldn’t see the driver because the windows were tinted. He stood by the passenger door, awkwardly waiting for either the window to roll down or for the driver to get out of the car. Cautiously he knocked on the window, “Hello?” That was when the driver-side-door opened. The driver stepped out and Evan felt his heart stop when he saw the white hockey mask, “No.” Delirious glared at him before he said, “Get. In.” In a harsh tone that Evan winced at, fearing what was going to happen to him later. He hopped into the passenger seat and Delirious did the same on the driver side. It was silent. The masked man was looking forward, his hands tightly wrapped around the steering wheel. His knuckles were turning white when he said, “I trusted you.”

“W- What?” Delirious looked at the Canadian, his blue eyes dark with rage, “You betrayed my trust.” Delirious suddenly grabbed the front of Evan’s shirt and yanked him forward and spoke in a low voice, “I’m going to show you what happens when you betray my trust.”


	5. Where Has the Time Gone?

    He stared up at the ceiling, feeling drowsy and queasy. He just woke up on the couch, with the taste of alcohol on his tongue and his throat was bone dry. The last thing that he could remember was driving down the road and seeing Vanoss walking through the desert, which made him extremely worried. Delirious began to sit up, but froze when his began to pulsate in pain. He groaned as he forced himself off the couch, spotting his mask on the coffee table. He ignored it for the moment because he was more concern about getting rid of his hangover. The aspirin wasn’t in the metallic first aid kit so he had to dig around in the disorganized kitchen drawers. Feeling relieved when he finally found them and downed two. He leaned against the counter and waited for the drug to kick in before doing anything else.  
  
    After searching through, almost, the entire house he found his phone. Delirious was happy to have found it, but was terrified to turn it on. How much time had passed while he was out? He held his breath and silently prayed that it wasn’t too long. The phone screen lit up, showing that he had a few texts and missed calls as well as the date, which was: October 26th. His heart sank. Six months. That’s how much time has passed? The phone hit the floor and he scrambled to grab his mask. He quickly slid it on before running to the metal door. Is he dead? That was the only question on Delirious’s mind as he unlocked the door. He slammed the door open, “Vanoss?!” Relief flooded through him when he saw Vanoss flinch in response. Vanoss was laying on the bed, his back to the door, and a thing blanket covering him. Good, he’s still alive. Delirious happily thought. He took a few steps into the room, but paused when he noticed Vanoss’s bare shoulders tense up and his entire body was shaking. Delirious felt concern as he continued. He walked to the other side of the bed, so that he could Vanoss’s face. The Canadian’s eyes were red and puffy and tears were running down his face. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days and his top lip was busted and bleeding. The blue-eyed man stood frozen in shock as Evan stared up at him, his brown eyes wide with terror. Delirious murmured a curse under his breath before saying, “I’m sorry… I’m so, so sorry.” He scanned the room for Vanoss’s shirt and spotted it in the corner next to the splintered chair, which now was completely destroyed. One of the torn off legs had dried blood on the end. Guilt clawed at Delirious’s heart as he went to pick up the shirt, finding a pair of jeans and boxers underneath. He sighed and picked those up as well. Delirious turned back around, finding that Vanoss was sitting up, exposing his bloody and bruised torso. Delirious could even slightly see his ribs, “Fuck… When was the last time you ate?” Evan stared at him with a confused expression. Delirious tried to sound as calm as he could, “I know that this whole thing is super confusing.” He whispered, “Hell, even I’m confused.” Then he spoke normally, “For now, you need to rest. I’m gonna clean these and get you some food.”  
  
    The stove was heating up letting the smell of cooked beef fill the air. Soapy water sloshed around in the metal tub. Vanoss’s shirt and jeans were placed to the side, soaking wet, but clean. The metal door was wide open, so it was easy for Evan to see what the masked man was doing. Evan’s stomach growled at the smell, making Delirious look in his direction. Evan tried to not make eye contact, which made Delirious question what exactly he did when he blacked out. Delirious quickly finished washing the clothes before completing the meal that consisted of a cheap cut of steak, instant mash potatoes, and canned corn. He apologized for the cheap dinner before giving the dish to Vanoss. The younger man didn’t answer and stared at the plate, clearly afraid to take it. The masked man frowned and set the plate on the night stand. He plopped onto the bed, noticing that Vanoss tensed up when he did. Delirious took a deep breath, “I… I woke with a hangover today… But I don’t remember even having alcohol… If fact, the last thing I remember was that I was driving home after getting groceries and seeing you walking through the desert.” Vanoss didn’t respond. He just stared. “I was hoping that… That wouldn’t happen, and if it did, I hoped that it wouldn’t last too long.” Delirious grabbed the plate, “You really should eat. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” He placed the plate in the Canadian’s lap before continuing, “Of course, neither of those things happened. I blacked out for six months and you suffered for that.” While Delirious was talking and looking away Evan was happily stuffing his mouth full, but when Delirious looked in his direction he would freeze in place. “You didn’t deserve that…  So, I’m sorry for anything and everything I did to you during those six months… I’m truly… And honestly sorry.” Vanoss still continued to say nothing. The masked man got off the bed, “Well, continue eating and later I’ll take a look at those cuts and bruises.” Evan quickly looked up at him, eyes wide in fear, and was shaking his head. He scooted away from Delirious, the blanket sliding down his body as he moved. That’s when blue eyes noticed bruises that were just above the Canadian’s hips. Bruises that weren’t caused by a fist or bat shaped object, but by… Fingers digging into his skin as his hips moved in a repetitive motion. Delirious felt ill and disgusted with himself as he stared at the dark marks. “No… No, no, no, no. I didn’t… I couldn’t! No!” Evan winced when Delirious stared to yell and tried to cover his body with the blanket. Delirious shook his head, “That’s why… No… But I’ve… Nothing like that has… NO!” Delirious ran out of the room, slamming the metal door closed behind him. “I wouldn’t do that! I’m just- I’m just… Fuck.” He pulled off the mask and stared at it. Guilt gripped his heart as the mask stared back. He grinded his teeth, frustrated with himself, and threw the mask at the middle pillar. The mask cracked when it hit the wood. He fell back against the wall. Letting his legs give way that he would slowly slid down. Once on the floor he wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in his knees. After sitting in the silence for a few moments, he began to weep.


	6. I Apologize

     Evan stared at the wooden wall. Happy to have a full stomach, but he couldn’t feel comfortable. The house was quiet since the masked man had left that morning for reasons that Evan wasn’t sure of. He slowly sat up and thought about leaving the bedroom. With the slightest movement the bed would creak. The sound was enough to convince him to leave. He winced as he got out of bed. Even though he hadn’t received any new bruises or cuts the past two days the old ones still caused pain. He never allowed Delirious to dig out the splinters or to treat the cuts, so the pain lingered. He stepped out into the living room and sat down on the couch. A pillow was placed perfectly at the end for him to sprawl across the entire couch. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt at ease. A smile slowly formed on his face as he hugged the pillow and imagined that he was home. Talking to friends and playing games like the past six months never occurred.

The bubble of happiness burst when he heard the front door open and a voice say, “Hey, Vanoss.” Evan stayed still, panicking as to what to do. He heard bags being set down and footsteps going to the bedroom. “Vanoss?” Upon not finding Evan Delirious looked around the room. The blue-eyed man felt his body start to shake, “W-where?” He walked around the couch and sighed in relief, “Oh, there you are!” Evan had curled up in fear, his face buried in the pillow. Instinctively Delirious reached for Evan’s shoulder to try and comfort him, but at the last moment pulled away. Realizing that it wouldn’t help. Instead he spoke in a comforting tone, “Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay.” Evan slowly turned his head to look up at the tall man who continued to speak in a calm voice, “Its okay. You can move around the house freely. I understand why you would want to be out here instead of…” Delirious glanced at the room, “In there.” He looked back down at Vanoss, who seemed to have relaxed a bit. Delirious smiled and gestured for Evan to get up, “Hey, get up real quick. I got some stuff for you!”

Vanoss gave him a scared look and did not move. At first Delirious was confused at the reaction, but after a few awkward moments of staring at each other he put it together, “Oh- holy shit! I didn’t get- No! Oh, fucking-god-no! I would never! I swear!” As he spoke Delirious moved his arms around spastically. Evan was surprised at the movement and slowly backed further into the couch. Delirious calmed himself down and shook his head, “No… I got you good err- nice… Um... Presents that you’ll like. Here- I’ll show you!” He ran to the bags that he brought inside and grabbed something. He walked back around the couch to reveal a stack of t-shirts, “I got you these and a whole stack of pants for you. They should fit.” Evan slowly sat up and Delirious handed him the stack. “But you can tell me if they don’t- oh! And also-“ As Delirious ran back Evan examined the shirts. A grunt was heard behind him, causing him to look over his shoulder. What he saw was the masked man holding onto a pair of weights. Delirious huffed, “I also got these. So that you have something to do.” Vanoss stood up and walked towards the masked man, who put the weights on the floor. Evan stared at them, allowing silence to fill the room.

Delirious awkwardly shifted from one foot to another, “Are you okay?” His own thoughts answered the question, _“Of course he’s not okay you fuckin’-“_ Vanoss interrupted the thought by quietly saying, “What do you want from me?” Delirious was surprised. Evan hadn’t said a single word since he came back and he thought it would take weeks for Evan to speak again. Evan stared up at him, waiting for his answer. Delirious hesitated to give it. He was trying to remember the day that he took the Canadian to find the answer.

The only thing that he could remember was waking up in the driver seat of his car, empty beer bottle in hand, and the hockey mask on his face. When he turned to throw the bottle in the back seat that’s when he saw the Asian man, passed out and tied up. He wanted to get Evan back to where he lived, but he was parked off the road that lead to his own house. He was in the middle of nowhere and he didn’t even know where to take Evan. So, he took Evan home, not sure of what else to do.

“I don’t know.” That was the god honest truth according to what Delirious could remember. Evan replied, “Then take me home. If you don’t know then let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone about what happened!” He was beginning to weep, “Please… I just wanna go home.” At that moment Delirious wanted to hug him in order to comfort him and take the pain and misery away and then happily take him home. However, he restrained himself and said, “I… I wish I could.” Evan noticed the sad tone in Delirious’s voice, “Why can’t you?”

“I don’t want to hurt you more than I’ve already have and… I’m scared that if I do take you home the past six months are gonna repeat. I’ll black out and then wake up to see you in pain because of me.” Delirious could feel his guilt turn into tears. He went to wipe them away, but clumsily smacked his mask instead, “Ophf- I forgot I was wearing that.” He laughed at himself before looking back at Evan and frowning, “I… I hope you understand.” Evan’s expression showed that he did, but at the same time he still wanted to leave. “I’m sorry.” Was all Delirious could muster up to say. With that Evan broke eye contact and began to move back towards the couch. That’s when Delirious busted out with, “Oh! Wait! I almost forgot! I got stuff to help with the cuts and bruises. Like some weird hot and cold thing that relaxes aching muscles and a lotion thing that’ll help your bruises and peroxide to help clean the cuts.” He was saying this as he dug through the bags to find the items. When he pulled them out he said, “The splinters still need to be dug out though… Do you know how to do that yourself?” Evan shook his head. “You take a needle and use that to pull the skin back so that you can grab the splinter with tweezers. If enough of the wood is sticking out you can skip the needle part.” Evan nodded as Delirious handed him the items. “The needle and tweezers should be in the med kit in the bathroom, along with band aids. So, go ahead and start um… Patching yourself up. And call if you need any help. I don’t want you to hurt yourself just because you were trying to reach a spot on your back.” Evan didn’t respond this time and just went into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

     It was a relief to get rid of the pain. It was like a huge weight was lifted off Evan’s shoulders. At one point when he was digging out a splinter Delirious spoke through the door saying, “Hey… Um, it’s okay if you want to take the chance to take a shower or… Something.” Considering that he couldn’t even remember the last time he showered Evan took the opportunity. The shower is also a great place to just think and recollect one’s thoughts. In fact the Canadian became so lost in thought that he almost didn’t hear the loud, _Thunk_ , along with a couple of curses from Delirious that came from the other room.

A half hour passed before he decided to turn off the water and get out. He threw on his clothes and draped a hand towel over his shoulders to catch the water from his dark hair. When he exited out of the bathroom he was greeted by an excited Delirious. “Oh! There you are! I was wondering how long you were going to take! Now I can finally start the popcorn!” The older man went into the kitchen and threw a bag of buttered popcorn into the microwave as Evan stood still, a little stunned from the outburst. Delirious joyfully bounded back to the living area where Evan noticed a few changes.

The coffee table that sat right in front of the couch he was laying in earlier was pushed back against the wall, with a box TV set on top of it. A trap door could be found where the coffee table originally was. The door was open and it leads to a small storage area where many movies had made their home. “Would you look at this behemoth!” Delirious said, pointing at the tube TV, “This is nostalgia right here and look-“ He pushed the power button, “It still works! That’s one of the cool things about old technology like this. It can last years!” He smacked the top of the TV, which made a hollow thud sound, “Built like a brick.” He then jumped into the hole and started to get movies out, “So- What do you want to watch? I got a whole lot of horror movies, classic Disney movies and- OOOH!” He picked up a certain stack of VHS tapes, “I also got Don Bluth movies!” Evan raised a brow, “Who?” Delirious gasped, “Do you not know who that is?” Evan shook his head. “Then it is my mission to edimi- edi- educate you!” Delirious eagerly climbed out of the hole with the stack of movies, “He directed and animated so many great movies! Like _The Secret of NIMH_ , _An American Tale_ , and _The Land Before-_ fucking- _Time_!” This guy’s movies were my childhood- even his not so great ones like _Bartok the Magnificent_!”

He was about to continue to geek out, but the microwave interrupted him, “Oh, go ahead and pick whatever movie you want to watch while I go get that.” Evan nodded before looking down at all the movies. He picked up one of the ones with cartoon mice on the cover then followed Delirious into the kitchen. The masked man had already thrown a second bag of popcorn in the microwave and was about to dump the first one into a bowl, “Did you already pick one? Which one did you pick?” Evan glanced at the VHS then looked back up, “Joey.” The excited twinkle in Delirious’s blue eyes was quickly replaced by a dead stare. His arms went limp and the popcorn bag dropped to the floor. Evan took a cautionary step back, dull eyes staring at nothing. The man appeared as if he had stopped breathing as well because he stood as still as a statue. Minutes passed and Delirious had not moved an inch, making Evan uneasy. He was afraid to do anything to snap Delirious out of his trance. He looked at the blue eyes and stared into them for what felt like a long time, waiting for a hint of movement.

“Who’s Joey?” Evan nearly jumped out of his own skin when the silence was broken by the question. The masked man broke out himself, but it seemed like he had no idea that he was in the trance to begin with. Evan quickly looked back down at the movie, “I- I, uh… Thought that one of the characters was named… Joey.” Delirious took the movie, “Oh! _The Great Mouse Detective_. Great choice, I always thought that this was an underrated classic… But I don’t think there was a character named Joey in it.” Evan shrugged, “I… I wouldn’t know.” Delirious handed the VHS back to Vanoss, “Why don’t you go ahead and start it while I finish up the…” He looked at the counter where the bowl was, “Huh? Where did the bag-“ He quickly scanned the room to find the popcorn bag by his feet, “Oh, there it is. I’m gonna finish making the popcorn. So, go ahead and start the movie.”

     At the end of the day the two had watched hours worth of classic movies and finished multiple bags of popcorn. Delirious had hoped that the movie marathon would help pick Evan’s spirits up, which it looked like it did. When Delirious would happen to look at the Canadian he would see a small smile on his as his brown eyes stayed on the screen. Even after the TV was turned off the younger man appeared to be in a good mood. Though, he knew it wouldn’t last. Evan would never be truly happy until he was back home. Delirious yawned as he looked at the time on his phone, it was 1:04 in the morning, “Damn, it’s time to get some sleep. If you want you can sleep on the couch. I think I got some extra blankets lying around somewhere for you to use.” Evan liked the idea of sleeping anywhere else as long as it was not that dreadful bed. So, he had already lain across the whole couch as Delirious went to find the blankets. Evan quickly became lost in his own thoughts. “ _This man is trying really hard to make up for everything he did. He even wants to make sure it never happens again. Yet, he seems like a person who would never do anything bad like that in the first place.”_ His thoughts were interrupted by a blanket being thrown over him. “Found them, finally. I really need to organize this place or something because this is getting fuckin’ ridiculous.” Evan adjusted the blanket and watched as Delirious made a bed out of multiple layers of sheets and duvets on the floor. He grunted as he sat on top of it, “Not exactly the most comfortable thing, but it’ll have to do. Good night, Vanoss.” Evan responded by turning his back to Delirious and saying nothing. He then returned to his thoughts before allowing sleep to take him.


End file.
